An Avatar and his Cat
by Vampirehelsing
Summary: HanChan. A sorceress turns Zuko into a cat and tells him he'll remain that way until he finds his true love. Will he discover his love among Aang and his friends? Not as strange as it sounds. ZukoxAang.
1. Chapter 1

This is my first Avatar fic so be nice. It's set early Book 2 since I've not seen the episodes after chapter 9. That's also why i'm not including Toph - because i haven't got use to her character yet. Well, i hope you enjoy it!

_Writing in italics is cat talk._

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**An Avatar and his Cat**

**Chapter 1**

"Why are you stopping Uncle?" Zuko asked as he noticed his uncle had taken a seat on the ground.

"We have been walking for hours Prince Zuko," Iroh replied wearily. "Is it not time we took a break?"

"Have you forgotten that Azula is right behind us?" Zuko shouted angrily. "We can not stop; we must find the Avatar!"

"Avatar, Avatar – that's all he ever talks about," Iroh muttered to himself.

Zuko hadn't heard what his uncle said but he knew he had been complaining about him. His face set in its eternal scowl, Zuko stormed ahead through the forest leaving his uncle behind. That was Zuko's biggest and most wonderful mistake ever.

Zuko only stopped walking when he came out into a clearing. It was vast and nothing but thin grass grew there. Zuko looked around, wondering if he should wait here for his uncle. He jumped when he heard a voice right behind him. "Hello Zuko."

Zuko turned around to face the girl that looked about the age of the Avatar. "Who are you? How did you sneak up on me like that?" he demanded of her.

She smiled and didn't answer his questions. "Many think your heart is cold Prince Zuko but I know the truth. There is good in you that you have needed to quash to survive. You survive but you are alone. Before you had hope of ending this loneliness but now that your father has ordered your capture you are loosing that hope. I don't think you should suffer Zuko; that is why I am here – to help."

"I don't need your help," Zuko sneered, pretending that this strange girl didn't bother him. It was a mask though, what she said disturbed him deeply.

"I think you do," was the girl's calm reply. In answer to this Zuko jumped back and sent a jet of fire straight towards her. The girl evaded it without seeming to move. She scowled for the first time. "If you attack the one offering you help then you really do need my help."

"No I don't!" Zuko shouted, letting forth another burst of flames. The girl dodged. Where was uncle Iroh? This would be a good time for him to show up and lighten the mood with one of his annoying proverbs.

The girl sighed as if she was tired. "I see you're not going to co-operate even though what I'm doing is in your best interest. It looks like I'm going to have to do this the hard way." An evil smirk appeared on her face. "That doesn't mean that this isn't the more amusing way though."

Zuko lashed out, knowing for certain now that this girl was nothing but trouble. However, the fiery kick he aimed at her did not connect. In fact he suddenly felt his fire-bending powers disappearing. There was something else too. Was the girl always as tall as him?

The next thing Zuko knew he only came up to the girl's knee. He felt really strange, as if he was no longer in his own body. He didn't understand it; what had this girl done to him?

The girl kneeled down and pulled a mirror out of nowhere. Hesitantly, Zuko looked at a reflection that he couldn't believe was his. Before him was a cat, black in colour, with a mahogany patch over its left eye.

Zuko opened his mouth and demanded that he be turned back. Even to his ears the words were only the sounds cats made.

The girl smiled at her handiwork. "You'll remain like that until you've helped yourself with your loneliness problem. In other words: until you fall in love and they have fallen for you."

Zuko's amber eyes widened. She had got to be kidding. How was he supposed to fall in love when he was a cat? Was he supposed to get another cat to love him? Zuko refused to entertain that very disturbing image.

"Do you want me to give you a hint which way you go?"

The cat reluctantly nodded, angered that it had to get help from the witch which had disfigured it.

The girl pointed to the right. "Go that way through the trees and you'll find a bunch of humans. In that group is the one your heart is destined for."

The cat's features changed into an expression that clearly said 'you've got to be kidding'. 'The one your heart is destined for'. What a load of crap.

The girl seemed to sense the direction his thoughts were going in. "You better go before they leave," she said before standing up and disappearing in a gust of wind that brought up bits of dirt and blinded Zuko for a second. When Zuko's eyes opened there was no trace of her. With nothing left to do he headed in the direction she had pointed out.

It wasn't long before Zuko walked out into another clearing. He stared at the group that had taken up residence there. _This has got to be some sick joke. Why else would I come upon the Avatar and his tag-along friends when I'm like this!_

As if hearing Zuko's exclamation, the Avatar looked up from his game with the white lemur. Zuko tried to back away into the foliage of the bush behind him without being seen but luck was not on his side. The Avatar walked over smiling. "Hey there, don't be scared," he said in that goofy voice of his.

_I'm not scared of you Avatar._ All the same Zuko darted into the bush behind him.

Aang frowned then grinned mischievously. He divided into the bush, searching for the cat he had seen. Something screamed indignantly ahead of him and he reached out for it. He caught hold of something thin and furry. Aang pulled it to him and a second later his face was attacked by sharp claws.

Katara looked up from the sleeping bag she had been unrolling. She sighed when she saw that it was Aang that was crying out in pain. Well, if he was going to go diving into bushes without checking that they had thorns then it served him right.

Eventually Aang disentangled himself from the bush and held his prize at arm's length. The cat was still not happy about having its tail pulled and was swiping its clawed paws at Aang. Aang however was not bothered by this and ran off to show Katara.

"Katara look at this cat I found in the bushes!"

Katara stood up and looked at the cat being held out to her. Was it her imagination or was in scowling at her? "That's nice Aang but maybe you should put it down; I don't think it likes being held like that."

"Don't be silly Katara, of course it does." Aang brought the cat closer to him and was promptly scratched. Aang pouted when Katara gave him the 'I told you so' look. "Fine, I'll put him down."

As soon as Zuko's paws touched the ground he ran a few feet away from the two benders. He hissed at them but then stopped when he realized what he was doing. Princes didn't hiss at people! He'd only been this way for a few minutes and already he'd started to act like a cat! _Stupid Avatar._

Aang turned to Katara. "Do we have any food?"

Katara shook her head. "Sokka went to find some nuts and berries."

"But it'll take forever for Sokka to find anything and by that time we'll be starving!" Aang whined.

"I know Aang but we just have to deal with it until we find another town."

Aang's frown immediately disappeared when he noticed the cat was still there. He bent down and went, "Here kitty, kitty, kitty."

_Yes Avatar, that's really going to make me want to go over to you._ Zuko said sarcastically.

"Hey guys; guess what I found!"

Zuko spun around. The water peasant boy was coming through the tress with…HIS RUCKSACK!

Sokka was smiling proudly as he waved the bag in the air. "I went into this clearing and there was this bag and it's got loads of food in it! No nuts tonight!" Sokka stopped when he noticed the cat at his feet was glaring at him. "What's this ugly thing doing here?"

_UGLY! _Zuko hissed and attacked Sokka's leg. Sokka cried out in alarm and ran to hide behind his sister. _That won't save you, you vile water peasant!_

Aang laughed at the look on Sokka's face. Katara smiled as well. "I didn't know the brave warrior was scared of a little cat," she taunted.

Sokka immediately stood up straight, trying to look impressive and fearless. "I wasn't scared; I was just protecting our food."

"Of course you were."

While the two siblings were busy arguing Aang took the opportunity to once again approach the golden eyed cat. It looked at him wearily but didn't move. Aang squatted down next to it and smiled the overenthusiastic smile he normally wore. "Hi, I'm Aang. I'm sorry I grabbed your tail before. Want to be friends?"

Zuko considered him. He knew he couldn't give a direct reply and neither was he going to demean himself by rubbing up against the Avatar's leg like he'd seen other cats do. He hoped the Avatar realised all this too.

Zuko needed to make up his mind about what he was going to do. He could either go look for that witch and get her to show him where he was supposed to go, or he could assume that she had meant for him to go with the Avatar. It wasn't an easy decision.

The witch could be anywhere and he really didn't want to run into his sister when he was like this. But did he really want to stay with the Avatar and the other idiots? Decisions, decisions.

Zuko sat down, hoping the Avatar would get that this meant he was staying with them. Apparently he did understand since Zuko was swept up into the boy's arms a moment later.

Aang ran over to Sokka and Katara and said, "The kitty's decided to join us!"

"Don't you have enough pets?"

Aang glared at Sokka. "They're my friends, not my pets."

Katara decided to get away from that subject. "What are you going to call it?"

Aang looked at Zuko in silence for awhile, thinking hard for a suitable name. "I got it! Zuko!"

Zuko jumped, thinking the Avatar had discovered how he had shamefully been turned into a cat. His fear was eradicated, however, when Sokka said, "Why would you want to name a cat after that jerk?"

"Because of the patch over his eye!" Aang said, as if it was the simplest thing in the world; which, technically, it was.

"I still think it's a stupid idea," complained Sokka.

"Sokka, Aang's the one who's going to be looking after the kitty so he can call it what he likes," Katara told her brother sternly.

"Thanks Katara," Aang said with a small smile. Katara smiled right back.

"I don't know about you guys but I'm starving! I'm going to light a fire so that we can eat a decent meal for once," Sokka said as he walked towards the woods.

Katara went to help him while Aang sat down with Zuko. "Don't worry Zuko, you're going to be happy here," Aang said cheerfully.

_I hope you're right because if you're not I'm going to be stuck like this forever._

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Please Review!_  
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	2. Chapter 2

A big thank you to everyone who reviewed. I'm really glad that you all enjoyed the first chapter and hope this second one lives up to your expectations! For those who don't like slash...well it is going to be slash but only minor stuff because the fic is just about Zuko and Aang getting together. So don't flame if you don't like.

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**Chapter 2**

That night they all sat around the campfire as usual. The only difference that night was that they had a feline prince in their midst. Zuko was sat a little further back from the others. He was weighing up his options about this whole curse thing. Who was it that he was supposed to be 'destined for'? The flying buffalo and lemur were out of the question. He couldn't understand what they said when he was a cat let alone as a human. He had despised the water tribe boy from day one and his opinion of him hadn't grown in the time he had spent as a feline. It couldn't be the Avatar because he was…well, the Avatar. He was Zuko's only hope of reclaiming his honour – getting involved would be just too complicated. That only left the water tribe girl. She had been the obvious choice from the start since she was the only female there but Zuko had wanted to asses things properly. The witch who had changed him was obviously mad and might have had some other scheme in mind instead of playing matchmaker.

Zuko cursed. He hated this. He was so vulnerable at the moment. He might have been able to scare the water boy but if Azula turned up he was dead. And what if the Avatar found out his secret? He wouldn't be so friendly if he found out that he was talking to his enemy. Or would he? The Avatar had saved him before from Zhao's soldiers when he had been rendered unconscious. But then he had just rescued the Avatar so maybe he had just been repaying the debt…?

Zuko shook his head. There would be time for contemplation later. Right now he had to try and sweet talk the water tribe girl. As a cat. This was going to be difficult.

Zuko walked towards the girl, who was talking amiably with Sokka. He sat next to her knee, trying to push down his pride so that he could act…friendly. It didn't take long for Katara to look down and notice him. "Hello there," she said, gently stroking the fur on top of Zuko's head.

Zuko felt his eye twitching. That felt nice for some reason and it made him feel like doing something only a cat should do. He wasn't a cat though, damn it, he was a prince and princes didn't purr, no matter how nice it felt to be scratched behind the ear.

Everyone missed the half-glare Aang sent Katara as she picked Zuko up and put him on her lap. Zuko was supposed to be his cat so why had he gone over to Katara? He should have come over to him!

It was only later that Aang realized that he was jealous. He didn't understand why he was jealous though. He didn't get jealous when Momo sat next to Katara or Sokka so why was he jealous now? He was just being silly, that was all.

Eventually they all decided to turn in. Zuko watched as Katara and Sokka pulled out their sleeping bags. Katara noticed him watching her carefully and gave him a look full of suspicion. "There's something not right about that cat," she said softly to her brother.

"What do you mean?" Sokka asked.

"It keeps staring at me."

"All cats stare; it's just something they do."

"Yeah but usually their stare isn't as unnerving as this one's is."

"You're just paranoid."

"Says the boy who's scared of everything."

"I am not scared of everything! And I am not a boy!"

Zuko sighed sadly when they started arguing. It hadn't taken him very long to work out that this was a regular occurrence. It almost reminded him of Azula and himself. Except the water girl – Katara – didn't tell her brother that he was going to die and then chase him all over the Earth Kingdom so that he could be brought back home for execution.

Zuko looked up when he noticed the Avatar approaching. Aang smiled and bent down so that their eyes were about level. "It's not that warm tonight; you can sleep with me if you like."

Zuko would have sneered if his cat face could have performed such a complicated facial expression. To show its rejection of the offer the cat curled up next to the fire.

Aang frowned at this. "I wouldn't do that if I were you – you might get your fur singed."

Again the cat tried to sneer. _Avatar, I am the prince of the Fire Nation; a master fire-bender. There is no way that my own element will do me any harm._

It was then that the unthinkable happened. A stray spark landed on Zuko's fur.Zuko instantly jumped up and darted away from the fire, hissing madly. _Traitor, _Zuko hissed at the happily crackling fire.

Aang chuckled for a second. "Maybe next time you'll listen to my advice and save yourself from getting hurt."

Zuko glowered. _Stupid Avatar._

Aang lay down and patted the ground next to him in invitation. Zuko was still sceptical about lying down next to his mortal enemy. "Come on Zuko; don't be scared."

_I am not scared, _Zuko growled. To prove his point he stalked forward and curled up a few feet away from the Avatar. Aang smiled and scratched behind Zuko's ear. This time Zuko could not stop the pleasured purr from escaping him.

A few hours later all was quiet in the Avatar camp. Everyone except Zuko the cat was sleeping soundly. Zuko, however, could not sleep for two reasons. One of them was that he had just realized that his uncle did not know of his dilemma. He would be frantically searching the woods at this very moment, looking for his lost nephew.

It wasn't that Zuko was worried for his uncle, Iroh could look after himself. It was just that he didn't want him to think he had abandoned him. He also didn't want to think that his uncle would go off without _him_. His uncle had been with him ever since he was banished; he had been the constant in the life of a troubled teen. Travelling without his uncle – his friend and mentor – wouldn't be the same. The only upside to Iroh not being here was that he couldn't constantly tease Zuko about the humiliating circumstance of being feline.

The other thing that was keeping Zuko awake was the fact that the Avatar had been right. It was a cold night and Zuko didn't like the cold. He wasn't going to risk going near the dying fire but if he didn't do that he could see only one alternative. He would have to actually _touch_ the Avatar.

Of course, he could have tried to sneak into Katara's sleeping bag but he didn't want to be woken in the morning by a loud scream. The girl was already suspicious of him and he had no intention of arousing her suspicion any further.

That left the Avatar as the only warm body Zuko was willing to get near to. _It's better to be warm than frozen. Plus, it's not like he's going to know that you're not a cat. He's not going to think anything of it. Forget your pride, forget your pride, forget your- aw hell just get it over with._

Aang was lying curled up on his side. Zuko curled up next to his chest and as soon as he was comfortable a pair of arms came up to block him in. _Cosy,_ Zuko remarked dryly. _At least it's a little warmer here. And it's out of the wind._ It didn't take long for Zuko to fall into a deep sleep.

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Iroh had been looking everywhere for his nephew. At one point he had thought that Zuko had just continued walking and not bothered to stop. His annoyance at his nephew's stubbornness had only vanished when he realized he had walked around in a circle and had actually returned to where he had demanded rest. 

Had Zuko taken a different path? Was that the reason his nephew had seemingly vanished into thin air?

Iroh had followed the footprints he had made earlier by the last light of the day. Zuko's footprints went in the same direction as his up until a point where he turned right and Zuko went left. Iroh chuckled at his mistake, knowing his nephew would give him an earful when he found him, just like a concerned parent would.

It was only when Iroh had reached the clearing that he started to worry. His nephew's trail suddenly ended here. The scorch marks on the tress seemed to indicate that there had been some sort of struggle. Had Azula found Zuko? No, there would be more sets of footprints if she had. There was only one set that didn't resemble the shape of Zuko's boot. Iroh hoped that if he followed the footprints he would find Zuko. His search would have to start in the morning though – it was too dark now to track the maker of the footprints.

Iroh settled down for the night out of the clearing, away from the footsteps. He didn't want to go too far from this place in-case he couldn't find it again. He also didn't want to stay too close in-case it was a trap. That was why he settled down for the night without a fire, nestled in the long grass, hoping that his nephew would not move until morning.

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Please Review! 


	3. Chapter 3

Only two reviews for the last chapter? I feel unlovedBut, because i am a kind authoress I'm putting this up for those who did review. thanks Inumaru12 and XSuicuneX!

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**Chapter 3**

Aang yawned and sat up, his arms stretched out above his head. As he rubbed tiredly at his eyes he felt something rubbing against his leg. A grin automatically spread across his face when he saw kitty Zuko curled up beside him. His grin became mischievous when an idea popped into Aang's head. He had done this to Sokka and Momo plenty of times before. He had only been deterred from doing it any more when Momo had tried to scratch his face off (prank no. 1) and when Katara had told him to leave Sokka alone (prank no. 100). Funny how the flying lemur's response to Aang's prank was more effective than a human's.

Aang moved his body away from Zuko before leaning in towards his ear. Aang took a deep breath then shouted, "Morning!" right in Zuko's ear. As expected, Zuko woke up immediately.

It took Zuko a few seconds to work out what had just happened; by which time Aang had moved far away from the volatile cat, having learnt his lesson about scaring animals from his encounter with Momo.

Zuko turned around slowly, hissing all the while. He was going to kill the Avatar for this. He was going to swipe that stupid grin right off his face; he was going to make him beg for mercy.

Then Zuko remembered he was a cat. How could he fight the Avatar when he couldn't firebend or even use his swords? He wasn't even taller than the Avatar any more so he couldn't do what he did as a last resort and pin him down solely with his greater body mass and strength. Since this was the case was there any point in attacking blindly? No, there wasn't. Iroh had always taught him to think about what he was doing. If he couldn't attack he would have to do something unexpected; something that would completely confuse the Avatar.

Indeed, Aang was very confused when Zuko walked away into the forest. Why hadn't he been ripped to shreds by Zuko's obviously sharp claws? Zuko hadn't even given him a backwards glare before he had disappeared into the trees. Was it because Aang had hurt his feelings?

"Aang, what are you doing?"

Aang turned around to see Katara and Sokka had been woken up by his shouting. The mischievous grin had completely gone from his face as he said, "Nothing Katara. I'm just going for a walk; you guys have breakfast without me."

Katara gave Aang a worried look as he walked away into the trees. She was then distracted by her brother when he said, "Looks like the cat does have a use – Aang has someone else to torment other than me."

Katara rolled her eyes. Were all brothers this immature?

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Zuko stopped a little way away from camp. He looked about for the best place he could hide to launch his ambush. The Avatar would never see his aerial attack until it was too late. Zuko only hoped that he would be able to climb up the tree.

With some difficulty Zuko managed to manoeuvre himself into the lowest branch of one of the trees. He flexed his muscles and claws, preparing himself for the spring. The cat equivalent of a self-satisfied grin crept onto Zuko's face.

"That's not very friendly you know."

Zuko was so surprised that he fell out of the tree. Luckily for him the old saying was true – cats do always land on their feet. He then looked up and came face to leg with the sorceress that had got him into this whole mess. _I hope you're here to change me back._

If the accursed female knew what he was saying she ignored him. "Aang lets you stay with him and eat his foot and this is how you repay him?"

_Technically it was **my** food_, was Zuko's smart reply. It was a pity the sorceress didn't understand cat.

The girl sighed. "At this rate you're never going to learn to love. Then again, you haven't actually been together the whole day so maybe I should cut you some slack." Zuko nodded, hoping by 'cut him some slack' she meant turn him back into a human.

The girl considered Zuko for awhile. "Your problem is that you don't have the ability to communicate. By being a cat you can't communicate properly so that slows down the whole process. I guess now that you've established some sort of relationship I should give you the ability to communicate." The girl nodded her head, her decision made. "Yes, that's exactly what I'll do." With two clicks of her fingers she was gone.

Zuko opened his mouth to express his great displeasure that he was still feline when he heard the crunch of leaves behind him. He turned to see the Avatar approaching. Zuko hissed, partly because he was annoyed, partly because cats couldn't sigh that well.

Aang saw Zuko a moment later. He walked forward slowly, not wanting Zuko to be scared by any sudden movements. The cat however sat still, watching him lazily. Their eyes connected when Aang crouched down in-front of him. "I'm sorry I scared you. It was supposed to be a joke. I've done it to Sokka before – it was really funny watching him jump about and get frustrated. I never meant to hurt your feelings, I just wanted to play. I didn't think you'd play if I asked you to so I wanted to get you mad enough to chase me, even if I did get scratched as a result. Are we still friends?"

Why did he suddenly feel guilty? It was stupid, he shouldn't be feeling guilty; it had been a long time since he'd felt guilty. The Avatar talked like a child and (Zuko realized) it was because he was a child. A child with a great responsibility on his shoulders; just like him.

How old was the Avatar? Probably only a year younger than he was when he was banished. Had he been like this back then? He couldn't recall being as enthusiastic but once upon a time he too had been happy and carefree. He hadn't been happy since he was banished.

Zuko walked forward and leaned his head against the Avatar's knee. Aang smiled at the show of affection. He reached out and rubbed the spot behind Zuko's ear making him purr. Seeing that Zuko was docile for the first time since he had arrived Aang got bold. He picked Zuko up and held him to his chest, still scratching behind the cat's ear.

The happy grin that spread across Aang's face disappeared when sharp claws raked over his skin. Aang hissed from the sting of the cut. It wasn't deep and there was no blood. "I take it that's payback for disturbing your beauty sleep?" The look Zuko gave him clearly said 'Yes'. "I guess we should head back now. I hope Sokka hasn't eaten everything or it'll be nuts again for breakfast." Aang sighed. "Being a vegetarian is hard sometimes."

Zuko wasn't sure about this since he had never been a vegetarian. He was also unsure whether this new understanding he had with the Avatar was the result of the witch's promise to help him communicate or whether there was something unpleasant waiting for him on the horizon.

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Please Review! 


	4. Chapter 4

Firstly, I would like to thank ** Rooshe8u, Ellenora Riddle, Inumaru12, bloody-black-valentine, and AuraChay **for reviewing. Secondly, I would like to assure bloody-black-valentine that the Zutara has ended, pretty much forever. Lastly, I would like you all to read and Review!

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**Chapter 4**

Katara and Sokka were clearing away the remains of breakfast when Iroh stumbled into the clearing. At once they dropped everything and went into their fighting stances. Iroh held his hands up in-front of him when he saw them. "Please wait; I am not here to fight you, I'm just looking for my nephew."

"Do you really think we'd be just standing here if Zuko was near by?" Sokka asked, trying to aim his boomerang without appearing to.

"That is true," Iroh said thoughtfully. He then noticed the rucksack and his eyes narrowed slightly. "Can you then explain why you have my nephew's rucksack?"

Sokka looked down at the bag at his feet as if it was a snake that might bite. "This? I found it in the woods."

"Then it was your footprints that led me here?"

Katara gave Sokka a sidelong glare. Sokka noticed the look and turned on his sister. "Hey, how was I supposed to know that it belonged to the Fire Nation?"

Katara rolled her eyes before turning back to Iroh. "We've not seen any sign of Zuko apart from his bag. When did he disappear?"

"Hard to say. He walked ahead while I was taking a break yesterday afternoon and it was only as it was getting dark that I started to fear he had been abducted." Iroh sighed. "Apart from the footprints leading here I have no idea where he could have gone. His trail has just vanished."

Katara and Sokka shared a glance. Sokka was clearly thinking it was a trap. Katara held a look of sympathy for the old man. They glared at each other, mentally battling, until Katara said, "Would you like a drink?"

Iroh's face instantly lit up. "I would love to share a cup of tea with you."

Just then Aang ran out of the forest shouting, "Zuko and I are back!"

As Aang skidded to a halt Iroh's eyes widened and he exclaimed "Zuko!"

Both Aang and Zuko turned. Out of shock Zuko said, "Uncle?"

There was a moment of silence that was broken by Sokka. "Did the cat just talk?"

All eyes swivelled towards the cat. Zuko blinked in surprise. "You can understand me now?"

Sokka screamed. Iroh and Katara gaped. Aang grinned. "Wow! A talking cat! Why didn't you say something earlier?"

"Because I couldn't! Now put me down!"

Aang started and dropped Zuko. Luckily for him he once again proved that cats always land on their feet. Katara turned to her brother and said quietly, "I told you there was something strange about that cat." Katara then paled as she realized something. "I let Zuko sit on my lap. I never pictured him being a pervert."

Iroh made his way forward, looking uneasily at his feline nephew. "Zuko, how did this happen?"

Zuko sighed. "It's a long story Uncle."

"Well this lovely young lady has just offered to make some tea so you can explain while we drink," Iroh said with a beaming smile.

"Very well," Zuko said reluctantly.

And so, they all sat down for tea. Iroh was the only one actually drinking the tea because the others did not actually like tea and had no idea why they had some with them. Plus, they were much more interested in finding what had happened to Zuko.

So, Zuko gave a basic explanation of what had happened to him since he had left his uncle the day before. He decided to leave out the things that had happened in the camp since he knew his uncle would never let him forget his humiliation of using the Avatar to keep warm.

"So let me get this straight," Katara tried to clarify. "One of us is destined to fall in love with you and you're stuck like that until we do?"

"Yes," Zuko said in a bored tone.

"There is no way I am letting you fall in love with my sister!" Sokka said firmly.

Iroh grinned cheekily. "How do you know _you're_ not the one my nephew's going to fall in love with?"

"Uncle!" Zuko shouted, his fur bristling. "Don't be disgusting!"

Iroh and Aang sniggered at the faces Sokka and Zuko were making. "I was only trying to point out that having Azula as a sister may have put you off females," Iroh said calmly.

"Yes, well, even so…Don't ever say that again," Zuko managed to mumble.

"Don't worry dear nephew; I promise never to speak of this again." Aang sniggered when he noticed that Iroh's fingers were crossed.

Katara decided it was time to move on. "So what are we supposed to do now?"

"You could all take turns kissing my nephew."

While Sokka looked disgusted and Katara politely hid her revulsion, Aang said, "Alright."

Zuko gave Aang a puzzled look. "Why did you say yes?"

Aang shrugged. "Why not? If it helps you get back to normal I shouldn't really refuse."

This confused Zuko greatly. Why was the Avatar willing to help him? They were enemies, weren't they? He had been trying to capture the Avatar ever since they met at the South Pole and yet he was willing to help Zuko return to normal so that he could have another enemy chasing him. Zuko knew from experience that being chased by his sister was bad enough. So why do this?

Sokka was thinking along the same lines as Zuko. "Aang are you crazy? Not only would kissing an animal be totally disgusting but there is absolutely no reason why we should help him! As soon as he's back to normal he'll just capture you and drag you off to the Fire Lord!"

"Zuko would not do that," Iroh interjected, defending his nephew. "If you help him return to his human form then we will leave. It would be dishonourable to capture you after what you would have done. Also," Iroh said, a grin plastered firmly on his face, "If love is the only cure I think my nephew would much rather keeps his knew interest instead of handing them over to someone else."

Zuko was glad his dark fur stopped everyone seeing the blush that should have been on his cheeks. Why oh why did he have to have Iroh as an uncle? Was the man ever going to let him forget this incident? No, he would tease him about being a cat forever.

"Exactly," said Aang. "If the sorceress was telling the truth then we'd be hurting ourselves by not helping because one of us would never find our true love."

"In that case we'll do what we can to help, but on one condition," Katara said sneakily.

"And that is?" Zuko asked wearily.

"When this is over you teach Aang Firebending."

Aang's face lit up. "Great idea Katara!"

"Fine," Zuko replied, glad it was something simple.

Sokka groaned, realizing that he was going to be stuck with Zuko and his strange tea-drinking uncle from now on. Aang cheered, jumping high up in the air thanks to his Airbending. When he landed he picked Zuko up, a huge grin on his face. "Thanks Zuko; you won't regret this!" Aang cried right in the poor cat's face.

"Whatever," Zuko replied, not comfortable with the fact that his face was inches away from Aang's.

Aang was not discouraged by Zuko's less than enthusiastic reply. He continued to jump about with the cat held safely in his arms. Iroh noted this and wondered if the Avatar could be the one that Zuko was destined for.

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Please Review! 


	5. Chapter 5

I've decided that this fic is going to be a short one and end soon. I've got ideas for a sequel but it may take some time to write. Also, I've got some ideas for Zuaang fics/one-shots. However it may take some time to post these since I've got a few things that I'm working on at the moment.

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**Chapter 5**

That night they gathered around the fire to eat dinner. The silent atmosphere was often broken by Iroh making jokes or passing comment. Aang laughed at some of his jokes but he was the only one who did. At the end of supper Katara turned to Zuko and said, "Why don't you tell us about yourself."

Zuko regarded her wearily. "What do you want to know?"

"I don't know. Hobbies, interests, anything really."

Zuko thought quietly for a moment. "I don't really have any interests or hobbies. The last few years of my life all I've done is search endlessly for the Avatar."

Sokka snorted. "How sad are you."

Zuko glared at him even though he knew there was truth behind the sarcasm. Katara, however, decided her brother needed a short reminder about manners. After she'd punched his arm she asked Zuko, "So how did you get your scar?"

Zuko looked into the fire, his head resting on his paws. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Why not?" Katara asked, not seeing the frantic motions and shaking of the head that Iroh was making.

Zuko lifted his head and said, "My past is none of your business."

"Are you embarrassed because you burnt yourself learning Firebending?" Sokka taunted.

Zuko grit his teeth together. "That's not what happened."

"Then what did happen? Did someone put the stuck-up prince in his place?"

With a cry of rage Zuko ran up to Sokka and jumped on him, claws flaying wildly as he tried to do as much damage as he could. The others jumped to their feet to try and tear the two apart. Iroh pulled Zuko off Sokka and held him at arm's length to avoid being scratched. Meanwhile Katara was healing the scratches that covered Sokka's face and forearms.

Eventually Zuko stopped thrashing. Iroh put him down on the floor but wearily watched him in case he tried to give Sokka a second beating. Zuko however decided he had had enough of this and walked away from the fireside into the forest. Sokka glared at him as he went. "That stupid cat nearly scratched my eyes out!"

"You shouldn't have provoked him Sokka," Aang said seriously. "Just be thankful the sorceress didn't give him back his Firebending."

Sokka gulped, realizing how stupid a thing he had done. He knew Zuko wasn't very good at controlling his temper and he had deliberately provoked him. He was so lucky to be alive right now.

When Katara was finished healing her brother she turned to Iroh. "Did he get mad because I asked him about his scar or because Sokka was taunting him?"

"It was a bit of both actually." Iroh sighed. "Zuko does not like people learning about how he got his scar. Even though it would be better if you learned the truth from him I do not think he is willing to divulge that information yet and I think if you knew the truth it would help you to understand my nephew, so if he asks I told you because I thought it would hurry along the process of him returning to human alright?" They all nodded. "In that case sit down and I will begin."

They all sat down to listen. Iroh sighed sadly before he began his tale. "Three years ago my nephew convinced me to bring him into the Fire Lord's war room. During the council he spoke against one of the general's plan to sacrifice soldiers to the Earth Kingdom. The Fire Lord said that this was an act of complete disrespect and Zuko would have to take part in a Fire Duel to negate this insult. Zuko thought he would be facing the general he had insulted. However, he had spoken in the Fire Lord's war room so had also disrespected him. When Zuko turned to face his opponent he saw that it was his father. Zuko begged for mercy since no son who loves and respects his father would want to fight him. The Fire Lord did not see this however. He thought Zuko was showing cowardice and this was why he banished him. But before he did that he told Zuko that he would learn respect and that pain and suffering would be his teachers. He then left his son a lasting reminder of their duel."

"His scar," Aang whispered breathlessly.

Iroh nodded. "Zuko was told that the only way he could regain his honour and return home was by capturing the Avatar. Even though this was supposed to be a hopeless task Zuko has pursued it restlessly since it is his only hope of things returning to normal. But things will never go back to the way they used to be."

There was silence around the campfire as everyone reflected on this story. Even Sokka had gained some sympathy for Zuko. To lose loved ones was painful but to be shunned by your loved ones would probably hurt more.

Aang stood up and headed towards the forest. Katara looked up. "Where are you going?" she asked.

"To find Zuko," Aang replied.

Iroh smiled at the retreating back of the Avatar. He hoped his search would be successful in both body and soul.

Aang had trouble finding Zuko in the dark forest. It would have been hard finding something brightly coloured in the gloom but finding something the colour of the night was down right impossible.

"If you're looking for me, I'm up here."

Aang jumped when he heard the voice from out of nowhere. He relaxed when he looked up to see what he thought was Zuko. "Are you going to come down?"

"No," was the stubborn reply.

"In that case I'll come to you." Aang jumped up to stand on the branch. It creaked under his weight. Aang grabbed Zuko just before the branch snapped. The cushion of air Aang created below him made it so that his feet touched down gently.

"You idiot! You made the branch break!" Zuko shouted from his place in Aang's arms.

"How was I to know that it would break?" Aang asked innocently. "Besides, it got you down didn't it?"

Zuko remained silent, still annoyed. Aang sat down and placed Zuko beside him. Zuko placed his head on his paws and waited for the apology.

"Sokka shouldn't have said the things he did but Sokka isn't exactly known for thinking before opening his mouth." There was a pause in which Zuko assumed he was supposed to say something, but he didn't. "Your uncle told us how you got your scar."

Zuko blinked in surprise. His uncle had told them since he hadn't? He was going to have to have words with his uncle later. "And?"

"I'm sorry about what happened."

"Sorry?" Zuko sneered. "Why should you be sorry? You weren't the one who did it."

"I'm sorry that you ever had to go through that. Nobody should be hurt in such a way."

Zuko continued to sneer at Aang's words. He didn't need sympathy from the Avatar. He didn't need sympathy from anyone! He had got along just fine on his own without anyone else's help so far so he didn't anyone's _sympathy _now.

"I'm also sorry for not understanding you."

Zuko stopped sneering and instead wore a look of confusion.

"I've never understood why you wanted to capture me so badly. At times I hated you because you hurt my friends; at others I thought about trying to be your friend but you rejected my offer after you saved me from Zhao's fortress. After that I decided that you didn't want to be my friend. I was right as well wasn't I? Or was I?" Aang trailed off for a second as he thought about this. "You always acted like you were in control and if you weren't you got angry. From a distance you've always appeared to be a person that is hard to get to know, someone who feels they're beyond such simple things as friendship. But were you? The boy your uncle described didn't seem to be like that. Are you someone who wears a mask of hatred and indifference to hide their suffering? I know I sometimes hide my pain behind a mask of cheerfulness."

Zuko's cat eyes (that were very handy when one wanted to see in the dark) captured the look of sadness on Aang's face. Before Zuko had wanted to demand why Aang thought he could analyze him like that but now his curiosity had been perked. What saddened the boy Avatar? What pain had he gone through? Such questions distracted Zuko from accepting that Aang's analysis had been pretty close to the truth.

"You know the pain in my past so I think it's only fair that you tell your own story," Zuko informed the boy next to him.

Aang gave a half-hearted smile. "When I came out of the iceberg I thought no time at all had passed. It was kind of a surprise to find out that I'd actually been trapped there for a hundred years. Then I found out about the war and everything I knew about the world changed. All my friends were dead. Well, okay, Bumi was still alive but he was an old man and I was still twelve! Then we went to the Southern Air Temple and I found out that the Fire Nation had killed all the Airbenders there, including Monk Gyatso. It was hard to deal with all that grief at once."

Zuko allowed the silence to continue for a moment before speaking. "I know how you feel to have your whole world turned upside down; for everything to change and-"

"For everyone to start treating you differently."

Zuko stared at him. Aang shrugged and smiled sadly. "When I found out I was the Avatar none of the other kids wanted to play with me because they said I had an unfair advantage, even though I was the same as I had been the day before. The older monks treated me differently too – they all insisted that I train day and night. Monk Gyatso was the only one who never stopped treating me the same. He was my guardian and always said that working was great and everything but everyone needed time to relax and get their butt kicked at Pai Sho."

"He sounds like uncle," Zuko said, an amused cat smile forming on his lips.

"If that's the case then you're really lucky to have your uncle. Monk Gyatso was a great person and out of everything that I miss about the past I miss him the most."

Zuko shifted uncomfortably, not liking the way the conversation was going. He already knew deep down that at times he treated his uncle poorly, like the time he accused him of being jealous of Zuko's father when he believed that Azula was actually there to bring them home. He regretted saying that now but he was too proud to do so. There were a lot of things he was too proud to do or say when it came to his uncle.

When Zuko didn't say anything Aang saw that it was up to him to continue the conversation. "It seems that we've got quite a few things in common doesn't it? We've actually had a civil conversation where we never once argued and we totally understood each other! Katara would be so proud!"

Zuko smiled slightly, accepting the truth behind Aang's words. Broadly speaking they were similar. He no longer saw Aang as the Avatar – a thing to be captured. He saw Aang as a boy abandoned by time who somehow still saw the good in things; unlike him who had grown angry and bitter from all his suffering.

Aang stood up. "We better get back or everyone will think we got eaten by a platypusbear," he said cheerfully.

The gears in Zuko's brain spun quickly as he tried to work out a way to say what he wanted to say. "Aang, would you…I mean now that you know who I am…are you still comfortable with our previous sleeping arrangements?"

Aang scooped Zuko up into his arms and said. "Since you didn't call me 'Avatar' I think I'll let you sleep with me again."

It was then Zuko realized that he hadn't called Aang 'Avatar'. He had called him by his name. He wasn't starting to become friends with the boy, was he? As Aang walked back to the campsite a thought that Zuko had never in his life dreamed would come into his head did.

_Could Aang be the one I'm destined for?_

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	6. Chapter 6

I hate winter. Everyone is ill and just can't be bothered yet we're still forced to attend school. Please excuse me while I die of flu.**  
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**Chapter 6**

When Aang and Zuko arrived back at camp the others had already started unrolling their sleeping bags. Katara smiled at them. "You're back."

"Yep!" Aang said cheerfully.

Katara then dragged Sokka over to the boy and cat. "Sokka has something to say," she announced, elbowing her brother to make sure he remembered to be nice.

Sokka glared at her as he rubbed his side. He then took a deep breath before saying, "I'm sorry I upset you earlier and I hope you will forgive me."

Zuko regarded Sokka. "Only if you perform the ritual of forgiveness."

"What's that?" Sokka asked, slightly worried.

"You bow ten times at the person's feet before stripping to your underwear, covering yourself in mud and dancing round the fire for ten minutes."

Sokka stared, his jaw dropping. "You have got to be joking."

Zuko smirked. "Actually I am."

Behind them Iroh burst out laughing. When he could control himself enough to talk he informed them that, "There is no such ritual in the Fire Nation."

"What does that mean?" asked Katara.

"It means that my nephew told a joke and nearly had your brother make a fool of himself," Iroh said before laughing again.

The three teenagers stared at the smirking cat in disbelief. After a moment of silence Aang started laughing along with Iroh. "You should have seen the look on your face Sokka – it was priceless."

Aang tried imitating Sokka's look of horror. The result made Katara cover her mouth to stifle her giggles. Sokka was left both furious and embarrassed; not knowing whether he should try to throttle the cat prince for embarrassing him or not. He settled for glowering and hissing, "We're even now," before stalking off to his sleeping bag.

After that exciting incident Katara and Iroh both went to bed. Aang sat with Zuko for awhile, watching the fire together. They had made their decision to do this without words. Aang knew that Zuko was too proud to let the others see them sleep together and was willing to wait up if it was going to make Zuko feel more comfortable. Of course he could barely keep his eyes open and was glad when he heard the soft breathing coming from the others. He yawned and stretched his arms in a high arc before lying down. "I think they're asleep," he muttered just loud enough for Zuko to hear.

Zuko nodded and curled up in Aang's arms. Aang rubbed his nose against the soft fur, a content smile making its way onto his face. For some reason this affectionate gesture felt oddly nice to Zuko. It took a lot of effort not to smile. Zuko's eyes slipped shut and the steady rhythm of the young Avatar's breathing quickly sent him into a peaceful slumber.

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The next morning Zuko's sleep was interrupted by hushed giggling. He frowned, wishing the one making this disturbing sound a painful death. 

"Don't they just look adorable together?"

Zuko's sleep fogged mind recognized that voice. Who did his uncle think were adorable? It sounded like the comment was directed in his direction but he wasn't doing anything…

Zuko's eyes sprang open. The sight before him confirmed his suspicions. His uncle was wearing that infuriating smile he always wore whenever he caught Zuko in an embarrassing situation. Katara was trying to stifle her giggles behind her hand and Sokka was wearing an expression that was a cross between amused and disturbed.

"What are you staring at?" Zuko asked, even though he knew the answer.

"We just think that you and Aang look really cute together," Katara said while trying not to smile too widely.

Zuko was glad that nobody could tell that he was blushing. He tried to get up to show that he wasn't concerned what they thought but his plan was foiled when the still dreaming Aang tightened his grip on Zuko's feline body. To make matters worse Aang then moaned, "Zuko," while rubbing his nose against the bristling fur. It was at this point that Zuko wished the ground would open up beneath him so he would no longer have to endure the knowing smiles being sent his way.

"It seems you and young Aang did more than just talk in the forest last night," Iroh said, wigging his eyebrows suggestively.

"Uncle!" Zuko cried in complete mortification.

"He's not denying it," Iroh said to his companions.

"Wait a minute," said Sokka, trying to comprehend what Iroh was trying to say. "You're saying that _Aang_ is Zuko's true love?"

"Would you rather it was your sister?" Iroh asked calmly.

The look on Sokka's face clearly said, 'NO'.

"You've got it all wrong," Zuko said quickly, trying to act fierce but not doing too well in his haste. "Last night all we did was talk and the only reason I'm in this position is because I was cold and Aang offered and-"

"Oh come off it Zuko," said Katara, the Yaoi fangirl within her awakening. "You said yourself the curse can only be lifted when you fall in love with one of us. You seem to like Aang the most and he must like you if he can trust you not to attack him in his sleep. In other words: there's no denying that _you love Aang_."

Zuko stared at her for a moment, his brain searching for a retort or flaw in her plan. He couldn't find one though. "I don't believe you," was the best he could come up with.

Iroh shook his head. "Always so headstrong. Maybe you'll have changed your mind by tonight." With that they left Zuko alone to make breakfast.

"Is it true?"

Zuko jumped and spun around to see that Aang's eyes were open. "You were awake the whole time?!" Zuko hissed.

"Not the whole time. But I did hear that last bit of the conversation."

"What bit?" Zuko asked, his throat going dry.

"The bit where Katara said that you loved me." Aang stared into Zuko's eyes and could see the fear behind the attempted passiveness. "Is it true?"

Zuko shrugged. "Do you love me?"

Aang cocked his head to the side in thought. "I'm not sure. I like you as a friend but I always thought that it was Katara that I loved."

Zuko visibly bristled. "And what exactly did you like about the waterbending girl?" he asked in a tone that was noticeably colder than before.

"She was always kind to me and we were friends the moment we met. She was smart and grown-up and really pretty," Aang replied, almost going into one of his Katara daydreams.

Zuko looked away. He was hardly kind and he had started off as Aang's enemy. He was military smart and grown-up enough to command a ship but was Aang looking for someone like that? As for his looks, Zuko didn't know if he was handsome or not. Quite a few girls were attracted to him even though his body language had told them he wasn't interested. Maybe he was handsome. Or maybe those girls were crazy, like his sister.

Aang looked down at Zuko. The cat prince was clearly sulking. Aang tried to hide the evil grin that was forming. He rolled onto his back to look up at the sky. "You know," he said casually, "ever since you turned up I've not really thought about Katara at all. My thoughts have been more centred around you."

From the way Zuko's ears perked up Aang knew he was pleased to hear this. "Is that so?"

"Yes," Aang replied teasingly, turning back to look Zuko straight in the eye.

Zuko couldn't stop the smirk forming on his face. "Maybe that's because you've fallen for me."

"Maybe," Aang replied, not noticing that he was closing the gap between them. "And maybe you've fallen for me too."

"Maybe you're right," Zuko replied before there no longer was a gap between the two and their lips.

There was a small explosion and the two jumped apart. Aang blinked in surprise as he stared up at Zuko. Zuko too was surprised that he was looking down instead of up at Aang. Hesitantly, he touched his face with his hand. His hand! It was no longer a paw! He no longer had fur or a tail or any other cat related features! He was human again!

"Congratulations Zuko; I knew you'd get there in the end."

Zuko looked up to see the sorceress smiling down at him. "You reversed the spell?"

The sorceress shook her head. "You reversed it yourself – you're the one who found your true love. The whole implications of this probably haven't sunk in yet but they will in time."

"Does this mean I've got my Firebending back?" Zuko asked, still a little startled by this turn of events.

"Oh yes."

"Oh no," Sokka groaned in the background.

"Well, I best be going now," the sorceress said before vanishing in a puff of smoke.

Zuko and Aang stared at each other for some time once she was gone. For the first time Aang realized how devilishly handsome Zuko was. For the first time Zuko realized how beautifully innocent Aang was and how his eyes were a remarkably interesting shade of gray. Aang too found himself immersed in Zuko's deep amber eyes.

"Where were we before we were so rudely interrupted?" Zuko asked softly.

Aang grinned as he realized Zuko's plan. "I think we were about to let our hormones do something entirely inappropriate."

Zuko smirked. "And we both know how it's useless to resist your hormones."

With that they kissed each other properly for the first time. This time the only explosions that took place were in their minds and hearts. There were no interruptions except for the muttering of the spectators that sounded so very far away.

"That is disgusting," Sokka said, making a face.

"I think it's cute," Katara said happily.

"I think it is the start of new beginnings," Iroh said wisely, smiling along with Katara, glad that his nephew may at last have found his true destiny.

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Why did Aang kiss a cat? Hormones and magic ;) 

I know Zuko and Aang probably aren't properly 'in love' yet but I thought that was a nice place to end the story because they've both kind of realized that they do like each other as more than just friends and to build on that relationship it would be better if Zuko was human. And now I will try to write a decent sequel. You'll know it when you see it because it'll have a similar title.

Please Review!


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